International delivery is becoming faster, more automated, and more regulated — all at the same time. And at the centre of it all sits one often-overlooked factor: data health.
For cross-border brands, data quality is no longer a technical concern. It directly impacts delivery success, customer experience, sustainability, and cost.
If your checkout and shipment data isn’t complete, validated, and fit for customs use, global delivery quickly turns reactive and expensive.
The European Union is accelerating its move towards data-led border control.
From July, new EU changes will introduce a €3.00 EUR fee per HS code per shipment. For brands shipping bundled or multi-item orders, this makes HS code accuracy and product-level data essential.
By 2028, the EU aims to operate a fully data-driven customs system. Decisions around clearance, inspections, and fees will be automated — based entirely on the data provided by the shipper.
The UK Government will be implementing similar customs duty reforms by March 2029.
This means product descriptions, HS codes, values, and consignee details are no longer just administrative fields. They are decision triggers.
A strong data health framework ensures that every shipment contains the information required to move smoothly from checkout to doorstep.
Key focus areas include:
Product content and descriptions
Are your product descriptions clear, consistent, and customs-ready? Poor descriptions increase clearance delays and the likelihood of manual intervention.
HS code accuracy
Are HS codes correctly assigned at item level? As charges are applied per code, precision directly impacts landed cost accuracy and margin control.
Checkout data capture
Are you capturing everything you need at checkout to support smooth delivery and clearance? Full names, validated addresses, contact phone numbers, and customer email addresses, and local recipient Local Tax IDs where applicable.
Address validation
Address errors remain one of the biggest causes of failed international deliveries. Localised address validation improves first-time delivery success and reduces return-to-sender volumes.
Localised tariffs and landed cost visibility
Are customers shown accurate, localised costs upfront? Unexpected customs fees remain the leading cause of delivery refusal and negative cross-border experiences.
Investing in data health delivers immediate and long-term benefits:
• Fewer undeliverable returns
• Fewer customs delays and queries
• Fewer customer rejections due to unexpected fees
• Reduced customer service workload
• Higher first-time delivery success
• Improved customer experience and trust
• Lower carbon impact through reduced re-delivery and returns
Data health isn’t just about compliance — it’s about control!
At MHI, we treat data as a core component of delivery performance. Our global delivery and returns solutions are built to support accurate data capture, dynamic carrier routing, and seamless cross-border execution.
By aligning checkout data, carrier networks, and customs requirements, we help brands move faster, reduce friction, and prepare for a future where borders are increasingly data-driven.
Because the strongest global delivery strategies don’t start at dispatch, they start with the data you capture at checkout.
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